Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
When you get the chance, peek in the windows at 223 W. Mill in downtown Plainville—a historic building that has anchored the corner since the early 1900s. Inside, history meets modern innovation. The beautiful limestone walls sit in contrast to the new features that the developers have added -- all in an effort to make the space comfortable, inviting, and fully connected for users.
The Hub—a new co-working space developed by Downtown Plainville—will give shortterm office rental access to remote employees, small business owners, and other individuals who need an office space or conference room. The Heartland Community Foundation proudly granted $6,563 to Downtown Plainville Inc. to put toward renovations and supplies in The Hub.
This story, along with the countless others like it, demonstrates the importance of U.S. community foundations, which are uniquely situated to improve their regions by enacting innovative solutions and creating powerful partnerships. From November 12-18, we celebrate National Community Foundation Week—a time when we can share and reflect on stories of local impact and human connection over the past year. Though you may not yet know your local community foundation, you’ve likely felt its impact!
That’s because Heartland Community Foundation and more than 750 other community foundations across the country help to bring donors and residents together. Community foundations work to support the efforts that will help the places we call home continue to flourish and grow.
By the end of 2021, Heartland Community Foundation will have granted more than $360,000 to nonprofit organizations in Rooks, Ellis, and Trego counties for new and innovative charitable projects. The impact from that investment is enormous, with immeasurable ripple effects. But beyond our grants, the staff and board members at Heartland have also strived to be community leaders— contributing to community development meetings about childcare, arts, housing, sustainability, schools, and more. We are striving for transformation, not merely transaction.
As we enter the giving season, millions of people from every background will be looking to give back to the communities that have supported them. They’ll also look to ensure that their heartfelt giving—however they choose to give—will have the most impact.
That’s why so many of them will choose to give to their local community foundation! A gift to the Rooks County Legacy Fund, which is an endowed fund, will have an impact forever. The more it grows, the more we can grant from the investment income to charitable groups exclusively in Rooks County.
Additionally, Heartland Community Foundation houses many other types of funds specific for local organizations and causes. We also are uniquely equipped to receive noncash gifts -- such as stocks, retirement distribution, bonds, grain, real estate and more -- at a tax savings to the donor. With the donor’s help, those gifts can be directed to the causes or organizations they select.
An annual gift or estate gift to your local community foundation is an investment in the future of your community. We like to say that community foundations are “here for good.” At Heartland Community Foundation, we don’t think about the next election or business cycle, we think about the next generation and the next after that.
That can seem a daunting task, but it’s one that we all share. During National Community Foundation Week, I hope you’ll join us in recognizing our collective impact and the difference we can make together.
For more information about Heartland Community Foundation, contact Sarah Meitner at 785-621- 4090 or sarahmeitner@ gscf.org. Learn more at www.heartlandcommunityfoundation.org or follow us on Facebook.
Sarah Meitner, Executive Director Heartland Community Foundation
